Allah selected the angels for a very great and noble job which is to take commands and teachings to the people.

Al Fatir 35: 1 All the praises and thanks are to Allâh, the (only) Originator [or the (Only) Creator] of the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels messengers with wings, – two or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Verily, Allâh is Able to do all things. (1)

Allah has told us that Jibreel is the only one who carries this mission

Ash Shuara 26: 193-194

And truly, this (the Qur’ân) is a revelation from the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists), (192)Which the trustworthy Rûh [Jibril (Gabriel)] has brought down; (193) Upon your heart (O Muhammad SAW) that you may be (one) of the warners, (194)

But wahy may be brought by other angels even though very rarely, as the hadith goes

Ibn Abbas in which Ibn Abbas narrates:

“One day Jibreel was sitting with the Prophet ﷺ and Jibreel heard the sound of a door in the heavens. So he raised his head and saw an angel coming. Then Jibreel said to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘This door is a door that was never opened before until today. And this angel is an angel who never came before.’ The angel came to Jibreel and the Prophet ﷺ and gavesalaams (greetings of peace) to them. Then he said to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘I give you the good news of two lights that are given to you that were never given to any prophet before you: the Opening of the Book (i.e. Surat al-Fatiha) and the last verses of Surat al-Baqarah.’”

Not everyone to whom an angel comes is a Messenger or a prophet.

Allah sent Jibreel to Maryam. (The story of how Isa was created)

Allah sent Jibreel to the mother of Ismaeel whn she ran out of food and drink (the story of zam zam)

The sahabah saw Jibreel in human form (hadith Islam, Iman and ihsan)

An angel visited a man who was visiting his brother because he loved him for th sake of Allah.

2. They blow life into people and record their future

While we are in our mother’s womb, Allah sends and angel to blow life into us and write important things from our future.

Verily the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days in the form of a nutfah (a drop), then he becomes an ‘alaqah (clot of blood) for a like period, then a mudghah (morsel of flesh) for a like period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows his soul into him and who is commanded with four matters: to write down his rizq (sustenance), his life span, his actions, and whether he will be happy or unhappy (i.e. whether or not he will enter Paradise). (Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Mas’ood)

Be aware that there are angels who stay with us all the time. they record all what we do, whether good or bad.

Az Zukhroof 43: 80

Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private counsel? (Yes We do) and Our Messengers (appointed angels in charge of mankind) are by them, to record. (80)

The angels never forget to write anything.

All of us have two angels –
one on the right recording good deed
one on the left recording bad deed

Al Infitar 82: 10-12
But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you, (10) Kirâman (Honourable) Kâtibîn writing down (your deeds) (11) They know all that you do. (12)

Al Qaaf 50: 17-18
(Remember!) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions) (17) Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).(18)

Please refer to the arabic words in this verse.

The word qa’eed – translated as sitting. really means watching.

The word raqeeb ateed – translated as watcher means always ready to do that and he never misses a single word.

Thus each person will find that this books contain everything that he said or did.

The kuffar will see their books of deeds on the Day of resurrection andthey will cry out

Al Kahf 18: 49

And the Book (one’s Record) will be placed (in the right hand for a believer in the Oneness of Allâh, and in the left hand for a disbeliever in the Oneness of Allâh), and you will see the Mujrimûn (criminals, polytheists, sinners), fearful of that which is (recorded) therein. They will say: “Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!” And they will find all that they did, placed before them, and your Lord treats no one with injustice. (49)

From a hadith,

Abu Hurayra is that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “A slave of Allah might say something which pleases Allah Almighty without realising it on account of which Allah raises him some degrees. A slave of Allah might say something which angers Allah Almighty without realising it on account of which he falls into Jahannam.” [al-Bukhari]

From Al Qaf 50: 18

(Remember!) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions) (17)

Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it). (18)

Ibn Katheer mentioned that Imam Ahmad used to moan when he was sick. Then he heard that Tawoos said, “Everything is written down, even (a person’s moans).” After that, Ahmad never moaned until he died, may Allah have mercy on him.

Subhanallah Allah Ar Raheem Ar Rahman. He makes the angels on the left to give a chance for the sinners to repent in 6 hours before he starts recording the records,

Abu Umamah reported that the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasalam said, Indeed the angel on the left lifts the pen for six hours from a sinful Muslim. If he then regrets and seek Allah’s forgiveness for his sins, the angels drop it. Otherwise he records it as one wrong. At tabaranni. verified hasan by al Albanee

The angels also record the actions of the heart

Al Infitar 82: 12

They know all that you do. (12)

Narrated by Abu Huraira that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said:

Allah says: Whenever My slave intends to do a bad deed, (I say to the deeds recording angels): Do not record it against him until he (actually) commits it. If he has done so, write it down exactly as one in his record book. But if he refrains from it for My sake, write down this as a virtue in his favour. And when he intends to do a good deed, but does not actually do it, write it as a virtue for him. And if he puts it into practice, write its reward equal to, from ten to seven hundred times (in his account). (This Hadith is sound and reported by Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmidhi).

Another hadith by Abu Hurayrah

The angels says, ‘O Lord, Your slave wants to do something bad,’ although He (Allah) Knows best about him. So, Allah says, ‘Watch him. If he does it then write it down as it is. If he does not do it, then write it down as one hasanah for him, for he is abstaining from it because of Me.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)

4. Stirring up good motives in the heart

Allah has appointed for each person a qareen (constant companion) from among the angels and another from among the jinn.

Ibn Masood said, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“There is no one among you but he has with him a constant companion (qareen) from among the jinn and a constant companion from among the angels.” They said, “You too, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Me too, but Allaah has helped me against him (the devil-companion) and he has become Muslim.” (Muslim)

The angelic companion is probably different from the angels who are commanded to record the deeds. This angel is appointed to guide the person. This qareen from the angel will tell us and encourage us to do good while the qareen of the jinn will tell us and encourage us to do evil.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(Shaytan has an effect on the son of Adam, and the angel also has an effect. As for the effect of Shaytan, it is by his threatening with evil repercussions and rejecting the truth. As for the effect of the angel, it is by his promise of a good end and believing in the truth. Whoever finds the latter, let him know that it is coming from Allah and let him thank Allah for it. Whoever finds the former, let him seek refuge – with Allah – from Shaytan.)

(Shaytan threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha’; whereas Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty. Al Baqarah 2: 286)

This is the narration that At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa’i collected in the book of Tafsir in their Sunan collections.

Al-Haafiz Abu Moosa narrated from Abu az-Zubayr that Jaabir said:

“The Messenger of Allah :saw: said:

‘When a person goes to bed, an angel and a devil hasten towards him. The angel says,

‘End you day with good,”

– and the devil says,

“End your day with evil.”

If he remembers Allah until (sleep) overtakes him, the angel expels the devil and spends the night watching over him.

When he wakes up, an angel and a devil hasten towards him. The angel says,

“Start (your day) with good,’

– and the devil says,

‘Start (your day) with evil.’

If he says,

‘Praise be to Allah who has brought my soul back to life after causing it to die, and has not caused me to die during my sleep. Praise be to Allah Who has detained the souls whom He decreed should die, and has sent back the others until an appointed time. Praise be to Allah Who grasps the heaven and the earth lest they move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him (cf. 35:41), and Praise be to Allah Who holds up the heavens so that they cannot fall on the earth except by His leave,’

– then the angel expels the devil and spends the day watching over him.” (Bukhari)

This should encourage us to do lots of good deeds so that the angels are near to us constantly. Angels love good deeds while the devil hates it.

5. testing the Sons of Adam

Allah may send some of His angels to test the sons of Adam.

Narrated Abu Huraira: that he heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “Allah willed to test three Israelis who were a Leper, a blind man and a bald-headed man. So, he sent them an angel who came to the leper and said, ‘What thing do you like most?’ He replied, “Good color and good skin, for the people have a strong aversion to me.’ The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given a good color and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, ‘What kind of property do you like best?’ He replied, ‘Camels (or cows).’ (The narrator is in doubt, for either the leper or the bald-headed man demanded camels and the other demanded cows.) So he (i.e. the leper) was given a pregnant she-camei, and the angel said (to him), ‘May Allah bless you in it.’ The angel then went to the bald-headed man and said, ‘What thing do you like most?’ He said, ‘I like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.’ The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), ‘What kind of property do you like bests’ He replied, ‘Cows,’ The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, ‘May Allah bless you in it.’ The angel went to the blind man and asked, ‘What thing do you like best?’ He said, ‘(I like) that Allah may restore my eye-sight to me so that I may see the people.’ The angel touched his eyes and Allah gave him back his eye-sight. The angel asked him, “What kind of property do you like best?’ He replied, ‘Sheep.’ The angel gave him a pregnant sheep. Afterwards, all the three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley, and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley. Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a leper, went to the leper and said, I am a poor man, who has lost all means of livelihood while on a journey. So none will satisfy my need except Allah and then you. In the Name of Him Who has given you such nice color and beautiful skin, and so much property, I ask you to give me a camel so that I may reach my destination. The man replied, ‘I have many obligations (so I cannot give you).’ The angel said, ‘I think I know you; were you not a leper to whom the people had a strong aversion? Weren’t you a poor man, and then Allah gave you (all this property).’ He replied, ‘(This is all wrong), I got this property through inheritance from my fore-fathers’ The angel said, ‘If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before. ‘ Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a bald man, went to the bald man and said to him the same as he told the first one, and he too answered the same as the first one did. The angel said, ‘If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before.’ The angel, disguised in the shape of a blind man, went to the blind man and said, ‘I am a poor man and a traveler, whose means of livelihood have been exhausted while on a journey. I have nobody to help me except Allah, and after Him, you yourself. I ask you in the Name of Him Who has given you back your eye-sight to give me a sheep, so that with its help, I may complete my journey’ The man said, ‘No doubt, I was blind and Allah gave me back my eye-sight; I was poor and Allah made me rich; so take anything you wish from my property. By Allah, I will not stop you for taking anything (you need) of my property which you may take for Allah’s sake.’ The angel replied, ‘Keep your property with you. You (i.e 3 men) have been tested and Allah is pleased with you and is angry with your two companions.”

6. The angels take the soul from the body

Allah has appointed some of His angels to pull the souls out of people’s boies when their appoited time comes which has been decreed by Allah.

As Sajda 32: 11

Say: “The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls, Then you shall be brought to your Lord.” (11)

Lessons

1. Angels are around the people.
2. The angels are messengers to human. But the last prophetic wahyu was for Prophet Muhamamd sallallahu alaihi wasalam
3. They blow life into people when they are in their mothers womb
4. The angel would also record the person’s future
5. They record what the people do